Chapter Insights

Using Email to Drive Engagement

Email isn’t dead. Yes, we get a lot of it, but even so, when the messaging and context are appropriate, email can actually be highly engaging, driving up open rates while moving the reader to take the intended action.

In fact, a recent study from Adobe shows just how engaging it can be. However, it also demonstrates the things about email – work and personal – that bother consumers and that organizations need to be aware of.

Email works:

It’s tied with face-to-face communications as the most popular form of communication- 31%

The right email marketing gives consumers the added incentive to act, like making a purchase – 37%

Email marketing improves brand awareness– 27%.

But the picture isn’t all rosy:

Only one quarter to one third of emails are interesting enough to open

Almost half of those surveyed are annoyed when they receive too much email from one organization

Almost one quarter are bothered by poorly written emails

39% want emails focused less on promotion and more on information

27% want emails more personalized emails

When asked about reading emails on smart devices, the main platform for checking email (85%), those surveyed had several complaints:

excessive scrolling – 20%

waiting for images to load – 18%

an excess amount of text – 17%

a small font size– 17%

and a lack of mobile optimization – 16%.

Respondents were also frustrated when they are recommended products that don’t match their interests (33%) or their names are misspelled (17%).

Keep these points in mind when you’re setting up your email plan and using it as part of your overall communication strategy. Perhaps you have messaging that needs to be sent in individual emails. If so, do it. But there are probably other items that could be bundled and sent in a single email and still other topics that could be highlighted on your website, sent by snail mail, or even posted to social media.

Remember that you have a better chance of having your emails read and acted on if you use the right subject lines and other tactics to keep them out of spam folders. By the way…26 percent of those 35 and older who were surveyed felt that stronger spam filters are improving their email experience.

Kristin Naragon, director of product marketing for Adobe Campaign, when interviewed on Adobe’s CMO website, said their survey highlights how and why consumers interact with messages—whether at work or in their personal lives. “The key finding,” she said, “is that brand engagement on email must take place on the consumer’s terms.”

Email is far from dead. If you’re using it the right way, in the way that your members and guests want, there is a place for it in your chapter activities. Including driving member engagement.